Under any circumstances, this would be an amazing CD. And it is especially fantastic considering the fact that it is a debut CD. Original songwriting, a great performance and overall excellence make this stand out as an all–time great debut in the melodic metal genre. The music is neo–classically based, but features clear influences of progressive, a little thrash, and occasional growling vocals. The music is always melodic, but it goes far beyond plain melodic metal. The singer uses mostly a theatrical sound, and not the screechy vocals that are sometimes found in metal; his voice is in the tenor range, but he sings with theatrical, almost showman like, styling. At other times, he will sing growling vocals; these vocals are not growls like those found in death metal, but more in the Mike Patton (Faith No More) light thrash style. Those are well done here, although, only found occasionally. One of the really surprising things about this band is that they started as a death metal band but transitioned to the sound found here.

The music is always exciting and taking unexpected turns, with classically influenced solos on either the keyboards or guitar likely to show up at any time. There are also frequent interplays between the guitars and keyboards. 2 of the best tracks are "Revival" and "Liquid hours", both of which feature the growling vocals on occasion. The slow "Forgotten path" has some Jethro Tull influence in its melody. And the quiet piano parts of the excellent finale, "Masquerade", are reminiscent of the fantastic band Skylark.

This is a CD that is so unique that it's difficult to describe. You simply need to buy it, sit back, enjoy, and be amazed at the quality and maturity of the songwriting. As with all high–rated CDs, this one does not feature any average tracks and finishes strong with the final 2 tracks being 2 of the best on the CD. Melody, crunch, originality, and excellent musicianship make this one of the best CDs in my collection and as good as any debut CD I have ever heard.